Estimate how many barcodes you need

The most important thing to understand is that each variation of each product you sell requires a unique barcode. You’ll need to determine exactly how many barcodes you need before you fill out the application. You can follow the example below or use the barcode estimator to help you decide.

Barcode Estimator Use GS1’s Online Barcode Calculator

Start off smart with genuine GS1 GTINs

Barcodes issued by GS1 ZA uniquely identify products online and in stores around the world. If you have only a few products that need barcodes, this is the most cost-effective option for your company.

GS1 ZA GTINs are a great option for small companies that are looking to quickly list their products for sale. Barcodes from GS1 identify your company as the brand owner of that product, which is a valuable piece of information that retailers look for!

Get a GS1 GTIN

Scale up with GS1 company prefix

GS1 Company Prefixes allow businesses to get multiple barcodes at a single time, they also identify locations, mixed cases, create coupons, and create higher levels of packaging like a case or pallet.

Company Prefixes from GS1 are perfectly suited for companies with growing product lines. It gives you access to the barcodes you need today plus backups ready to identify the latest additions, ensuring you can respond to the growth opportunities that define your tomorrow.

GS1 offers different barcode options to best serve our members. Each GS1 Company Prefix licence comes in different “capacities” representing the maximum number of unique products you can identify with that licence.

With your membership you gain access to GS1 Activate, a tool businesses around the world use to create their own barcodes and manage product data. As long as licences are renewed every year, all product data will remain linked to your company information and you will maintain access to GS1 Data Hub® where you can control your product data.

Prefix Pricing*

Number of items needing a barcode/GTIN** Initial Fee/Once off Entrace fee Annual Renewal Fee - March
1 R 163 -
10 R 1815 R 401
100 R 6308 R 2227
1,000 R 7595 R 4354
10,000 R 8368 R 8902
100,000 R 9142 R 26699
GLN R 163 -
*GS1 SA reserves the right to change pricing on GS1 Company Prefix(es) or GS1 GTIN(s). The use of GS1 Company Prefixes and GS1 GTINs are pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Licence Agreement, which is subject to the change at GS1 SA's sole discretion.
*For the other months, there is a pro-rata annual license fee payable
**If you need to identify locations, use the same table for pricing.